Just The Way You Are
by Hermoninee-Granger
Summary: Cat doesn't get a part in a school play because she is not taken seriously, so she starts to re-think her life. Can Andre help her see that they love her just the way she is? Candre and Cade friendship.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N yay! A second story! I want to thank everyone who reviewed my first story, enchanted. Seeing the review alerts in my inbox made me sooo happy. This is a multi-chapter story but I'll see what the reactions are like on the first story before posting the rest. Cat might seem a bit ooc but that's because she is being ooc, that's what the story is all about. Sorry it's so short but the other chapters are longer. This is basically just a tester to see if anyone actually likes it.**

Disclaimer- I don't own victorious.

Cat's POV

I ran into the black box theatre ready for my audition. The school was putting on a play and I was auditioning for the lead, Jane. I'm very different to Jane but that's what acting is all about, right? I ran up to the stage when Sikowitz called my name and performed my audition. It went well, and as I ran to sit back in my seat many people were complimenting me.

Afterwards I stayed behind and asked him what he thought of my audition. I had been working on it for aaaggggeesssss, so I was hoping for a nice review. 'Whadda ya think?' I asked, bouncing up and down like a child on Christmas Eve 'It was wonderful' he relied, sipping from a coconut 'Yay!' I squealed 'But...' he continued 'oh phooey there's a but' my good mood was diminishing by the minute and I stopped bouncing up and down ' I can't cast you as Jane' Sikowitz finished. 'What? Why?' I screeched, he had said my audition was wonderful, and now I wasn't getting the part? 'No-one would take the play seriously if you were the lead. I'm sorry Cat but it's the truth.' He turned and left as my whole life came crashing down. I felt like a paper mache girl, solid from the outside but crumbles in with one push. I sat in the black box theatre re-thinking my life until the bell went and I was able to leave.

**PLEASE review if you like it, and I will post the rest. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Oh my giddy cupcakes thank you so much! Reviews! Here is chapter two for yyoouu! And yes, I think Sikowitz's brain has been ruined by coconut drinking The bit about group convo on the slap is gonna be a recurring thing, just to warn whoever wants warning **

Disclaimer- I do not own victorious

'Hey, Guys?' Cat asked the gang at lunch the next day. 'What Cat?' Andre replied, concerned that she hadn't said anything too random. 'Sikowitz said he couldn't cast me as Jane because then no-one would take the play seriously. Was he right?'

'Well…'

'He...'

'It must have been…'

Her friends stammered out before Robbie voiced everyone's thoughts:

'Kinda. Don't take it too hard; Cat, but people don't take you very seriously. That's a good thing, but I suppose it's slightly backfired.' Cat gasped- her friends agreed with Sikowitz? 'But at least now you can concentrate on your singing, right?' Andre jumped in, trying to make her feel better.

'So it's true…' Cat whispered.

For the rest of the day Cat was more subdued than anyone had ever seen her before. She kept her head down and did her work without a word. At the end of the day she ran out of the building without saying goodbye to anyone. Later the others logged onto the slap and joined a group conversation **(a/n dunno if the slap does this but let's just pretend it does for the sake of the story.) **

**Jade West-** And now Cat's upset. Well done puppet boy.

**Robbie Shapiro**- I thought she needed to know the truth!

**Andre Harris**- Jade attacking Robbie isn't going to help us help Cat

**Beck Oliver**- Calm down babe. We need a plan of action.

**Tori Vega**- Omg I got the part of Jane in Sikowitz's play! Yay!

**Jade West**- That's the part Cat went after!

**Tori Vega- **And? We're actors; we need to learn to take rejection. Who wants to celebrate?

**Andre Harris- **Sikowitz said he wouldn't give Cat the part because it would make his play a laughing stock.

**Tori Vega- **Aw, poor Cat. Ah well, if I know Cat then she'll be fine by tomorrow.

**Jade West- **You know nothing about Cat. Were you there when people laughed at her on the first day of middle school? Were you the one who let her live at your house when her brother burned down her room? Were you there when the love of her life asked for advice about asking out another girl? I was, and I know that Cat is gonna take this really hard.

_**Jade West has signed out**_

**Tori Vega- **Wow, who knew Jade and Cat were that close?

**Beck Oliver- **Um… Everyone?

**Robbie Shapiro- **Jade and Cat have been inseparable since… Forever I suppose. Well, as long as I've known them.

_**Robbie Shapiro has signed out**_

_**Beck Oliver has signed out**_

**Andre Harris- **Cya

_**Andre Harris has signed out**_


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N You do not know how much I love reviews. I love them as much as Jade loves scissors and Cat loves Red Velvet Cupcakes This is an alternate Victorious universe, so Bade is still together. Yay! Just wanted to point that out- it won't be a 'bade story' but they are together in it. I have also decided that the end of all chapters will be group convo on the slap )**

Disclaimer- I do not own victorious.

'Bye bye…' Cat's hand on the brown hair dye shook as she said goodbye to her red velvet hair and dyed it her old dull brown, which would match all the dull clothes she had just bought. She had taken all her posters down and just left Mr Giraffe, her favourite soft toy. She had stuffed everything else in her wardrobe since she couldn't bring herself to get rid of them.

The next day Cat walked nervously into school dressed in grey jeans and a white t-shirt, her black backpack slung over her shoulder and her newly died brown hair in a ponytail. She took down all the bright objects and cupcakes from her locker and replaced them with microphones and drama masks she had cut out from many magazines and books the night before. 'Hi, Cat' she heard the familiar voice of her best friend from behind her 'Hi Jade…'

'RIIIIIIIIIINNNNGGG!'

The bell went as Andre, Robbie, Beck and Tori walked to Sikowitz's class for second period, having spent all morning looking for Cat's red head and signature 'HiHi!' until Jade murmured about looking for the wrong thing and left.

'I don't want to see them!' They heard a familiar voice from behind them. 'Cat?' Andre asked, eager, as the gang turned around to see Jade frozen in a pantomime pose with a girl they vaguely recognised as a Cat from old pictures in scrapbooks. 'Hi…' she broke the silence, speaking only just above a whisper. 'C-Cat?' Tori asked 'That's my name' Cat replied, staring at her plain black sneakers 'What happened?' Beck asked, wrapping an arm around Jade's waist 'My dreams are to act and sing. If I carried on like I was that would never have happened.' Cat stated, going to sit down. 'Don't. Criticize.' Jade spat at everyone, taking Beck to go sit with Cat. 'Wow…' Tori whistled. 'That was unexpected…' 'Well we just have to be supportive I suppose…' Robbie and Tori went and sat at the back of the class, leaving Andre stood alone in the doorway, thinking about his feelings for his ex-lil' red. You don't know what you have until it's gone. You don't know how you feel about someone who until they change and you feel like you have a hole in your heart.

**The Slap**

**Andre Harris- **So what's our plan?

**Jade West- **Yeah- how are we gonna show Cat that we want her back?

**Tori Vega- **Guys, Cat is bi-polar. I'm sure she'll be fine by tomorrow.

**Jade West- **And you wonder why I hate her?

**Andre Harris- **Tori, you haven't known Cat as long as we have. You have to trust us on this.

**Tori Vega- **Well, I think that she's my friend and I know her.

_**Tori Vega has signed out**_

**Andre Harris- **Okay so I kinda see your point.


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N hiii it's me again! I'm sooo sorry about chapter 3. I mean it. When I read it back I was like past embarrassed and into the universe of wishing that the floor would swallow me up and take chapter 3 with me. Literally. Anyway… On with a hopefully better chapter 4 Sorry this took a while, word was acting up. Sorry also for the awful kissing scene. As you have probably noticed, I can't write kissing scenes.)**

Disclaimer- I do not own victorious. Phooey. Wish I did but hey, what can you do?

'Hey, Jade?' Andre asked Jade the next day at lunch 'Yeah?' she replied, keeping her eyes on her food. 'When you said on chat that the love of Cat's life had asked her advice on asking out another girl, who was the love of her life?' He poked his food, curious. 'You really don't have a clue, do you?' Jade replied, looking annoyed. 'What?' Andre asked, taken aback. 'It's you, you idiot! Cat loves you! She always has and I can bet you she always will!' She picked up her bag and left Andre with a head of new knowledge.

The next day at lunch Andre approached Cat who was sat revising in the black box theatre.

'Heyhey' he greeted her as he sat down next to her. 'hey Andre' she replied, keeping her eyes on her work. 'Can I have your help?' He asked, taking her book and placing it next to him away from her. 'Yes?' she responded cautiously. 'It depends what it is, I need to study.' 'No, you don't' he replied 'you'll ace this test like you aced all the others. I just want you to help me with a song.' He got out his keyboard and layed it along his legs. 'Okay. What's the song about?' Cat brushed her boring hair away from her face and moved nearer to Andre. 'A girl. She's changed recently, and I've just realized that I loved the old her.' He said, staring into her eyes. She dropped her head and blushed scarlet. 'Really?' She whispered, still not looking him in the eye. 'Really.' He replied, tilting her chin up so he could see her face and kissing her. Fireworks exploded and for a moment nothing else in the world mattered. 'So… About getting this girl back…' Cat continued 'Maybe she just needs to feel like people actually miss her enough to want her back. Apart from you, obviously.' She kissed his cheek and gathered her things, walking out of the black box with a smile on her face, the first in weeks.

'So she wants to come back?'

'Of course we miss her!'

'What's the plan?'

Andre announced Cat's breakthrough to everyone as they gathered in Beck's RV later that day.

'The plan is to surprise her with a song each at lunch tomorrow. You have tonight to find/write a song you think fits your relationship with Cat before we perform. Are we ready?' Andre revealed his plan to the gang and they all went their separate ways to find their song.

**TheSlap**

**Jade West- **Hey Cat, can you meet me in Sikowitz's classroom tomorrow to rehearse for that scene we have together?

**Cat Valentine- **Sure, see you there. G2g

_**Cat Valentine has signed out**_

**Jade West- **The red velvet cupcake is in the bakery. Now for a song…

**A/N I know it's short, sorry, but these are going to be short. I have the attention span of a goldfish. :p**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N okay don't freak out but it's me again :p Thank you so much for my reviews! Sorry this chapter's short, it was padded out with song lyrics I removed xx**

_Ameha Kay (ma friends call me Cat :p) _Thank you! :D

**I don't own victorious **

'Jade?' Cat sounded worried as she walked into the black box, since the lights were out and Jade didn't seem to be here. Suddenly, spotlights came on pointing to Jade on the stage.

'Hi Cat. Take a seat, I wanna tell you something.' Jade posed as Cat took a seat and the intro to a song began to play.

When Jade finished singing the song that expressed her feelings she hugged Cat. 'Cat, you're my best friend and I miss you. I'm sorry I'm not a better best friend.' 'You're the best friend in the world, Jadey.' Cat replied, tearing up. 'I'm not even gonna kill you for calling me Jadey' Jade smiled and left with the ex-redhead to get some lunch.

'Hey, Cat!' Cat heard a voice coming from the stage in the parking lot. 'This is for you.' Andre stood by a microphone and began to sing his own version of the amazing Bruno Mars song, telling Cat just how amazing she way, just the way she was.

Jade turned and saw Cat with tears in her eyes. Andre ran down from the stage and she threw herself at him, holding him like she would never let go. After a long time she let go and grabbed his and Jade's hands.

'Let's go buy red hair dye!' she screamed, and pulled them to Jade's car. Jade and Andre shared a grin as they ran behind the soon-to-be redhead. She was back.

****

Sikowitz walked into class after his month holiday in Barbados, grabbing a chair and addressing the class. The cast list was up in the corner of the room and everyone was gathered around it.

Cat got Jane.

'But Sikowitz- you said I couldn't get Jane?' Cat asked Sikowitz, confused. 'Did I? Well you did!' He replied, leaning back in his chair 'What did I miss?' He crossed his legs.


End file.
